Question: Each triangle is a 30-60-90 triangle, and the hypotenuse of one triangle is the longer leg of an adjacent triangle. The hypotenuse of the largest triangle is 8 centimeters. What is the number of centimeters in the length of the longer leg of the smallest triangle? Express your answer as a common fraction.

[asy] pair O; for(int i = 0; i < 5; ++i){
draw(O--((2/sqrt(3))^i)*dir(30*i));
}
for(int g = 0; g < 4; ++g){
draw( ((2/sqrt(3))^g)*dir(30*g)-- ((2/sqrt(3))^(g+1))*dir(30*g+30));
}
label("8 cm", O--(16/9)*dir(120), W);
label("$30^{\circ}$",.4*dir(0),dir(90));
label("$30^{\circ}$",.4*dir(25),dir(115));
label("$30^{\circ}$",.4*dir(50),dir(140));
label("$30^{\circ}$",.4*dir(85),dir(175));
real t = (2/(sqrt(3)));
draw(rightanglemark((1,.1),(1,0),(.9,0),s=3));
draw(rightanglemark(rotate(30)*(0,t**4),rotate(0)*(0,t**3),O,s=3));
draw(rightanglemark(rotate(0)*(0,t**3),rotate(-30)*(0,t**2),O,s=3));
draw(rightanglemark(rotate(-30)*(0,t**2),rotate(-60)*(0,t**1),O,s=3));
[/asy]
First, we label the diagram as shown below:

[asy] size(190);
pair O; for(int i = 0; i < 5; ++i){
draw(O--((2/sqrt(3))^i)*dir(30*i));
}
for(int g = 0; g < 4; ++g){
draw( ((2/sqrt(3))^g)*dir(30*g)-- ((2/sqrt(3))^(g+1))*dir(30*g+30));
}
label("8 cm", O--(16/9)*dir(120), W);
label("$30^{\circ}$",.4*dir(0),dir(90));
label("$30^{\circ}$",.4*dir(25),dir(115));
label("$30^{\circ}$",.4*dir(50),dir(140));
label("$30^{\circ}$",.4*dir(85),dir(175));
real t = (2/(sqrt(3)));
label("$B$",(0,t**3),N);
label("$A$",rotate(30)*(0,t**4),NW);
label("$C$",rotate(-30)*(0,t*t),NE);
label("$D$",rotate(-60)*(0,t),NE);
label("$E$",(1,0),E);
label("$O$",O,S);
draw(rightanglemark((1,.1),(1,0),(.9,0),s=3));
draw(rightanglemark(rotate(30)*(0,t**4),rotate(0)*(0,t**3),O,s=3));
draw(rightanglemark(rotate(0)*(0,t**3),rotate(-30)*(0,t**2),O,s=3));
draw(rightanglemark(rotate(-30)*(0,t**2),rotate(-60)*(0,t**1),O,s=3));
[/asy]

All four right triangles are 30-60-90 triangles. Therefore, the length of the shorter leg in each triangle is half the hypotenuse, and the length of the longer leg is $\sqrt{3}$ times the length of the shorter leg.  We apply these facts to each triangle, starting with $\triangle AOB$ and working clockwise.

From $\triangle AOB$, we find $AB = AO/2 = 4$ and $BO = AB\sqrt{3}=4\sqrt{3}$.

From $\triangle BOC$, we find $BC = BO/2 =2\sqrt{3}$ and $CO = BC\sqrt{3} =2\sqrt{3}\cdot\sqrt{3} = 6$.

From $\triangle COD$, we find $CD = CO/2 = 3$ and $DO = CD\sqrt{3} = 3\sqrt{3}$.

From $\triangle DOE$, we find $DE = DO/2 = 3\sqrt{3}/2$ and $EO =DE\sqrt{3} = (3\sqrt{3}/2)\cdot \sqrt{3} = (3\sqrt{3}\cdot \sqrt{3})/2 = \boxed{\frac{9}{2}}$.